Detective Conan Creator Gosho Aoyama Confirms Final Chapter Draft
The confirmation that a final chapter draft exists, while no timeline is given, signals that the long-running series' conclusion is being actively prepared, a shift from the indefinite status fans have long assumed.
Key Facts
- Gosho Aoyama confirmed he has drafted the storyboard for the final chapter of Detective Conan during an interview on 24-Hour Television Latest Information SP.
- Detective Conan has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 1994, with 108 volumes released as of April 2026.
- The manga is on an eight-week break, with chapter 1,167 scheduled to return on September 16.
- Aoyama said he initially expected the series to end quickly and first realized its popularity with the release of the first theatrical film.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime Corner, Animehunch.
Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan, confirmed that he has already drafted the storyboard for the manga's final chapter. He made the revelation during an appearance on Nippon Television's 24-Hour Television Latest Information SP, a pre-broadcast program for the annual charity event. Aoyama was interviewed at his workplace by singer Chanmina and SixTONES member Taiga Kyomoto, both self-described fans of the series. When Chanmina asked whether he thinks about the end of his career and Detective Conan, Aoyama revealed the draft, jokingly asking if they wanted to see it before adding that the ending is "interesting." He did not disclose any story details or indicate when the series will conclude. Aoyama also admitted he initially expected the series to end quickly, and first realized its popularity with the release of the first theatrical film. He recalled a conversation with One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda about the unusual experience of having their manga adapted into weekly TV anime. Detective Conan has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday since 1994, with 108 volumes released as of April 2026.
The interview aired as part of Nippon Television's 24-Hour Television charity event, and Aoyama also designed this year's charity T-shirt for the broadcast. Chanmina's question about endings came from her own habit of planning for the end of things in her life, which she mentioned during the conversation.
When Aoyama offered to show the draft, Chanmina immediately asked to see it, and Kyomoto cut in with a joke: "You're not supposed to take him up on that!" Aoyama then teased the pair by saying the ending is "interesting" without giving anything else away.
The manga has released 1,166 chapters to date and is currently on an eight-week break, with chapter 1,167 scheduled to return on September 16. No reason has been given for the hiatus. The series' slow-burning central storyline involving the Black Organization advances gradually between standalone cases, and frequent hiatuses have further stretched the pace. The weekly anime has produced substantial filler content to avoid catching up with the source material.
Aoyama also recalled telling One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, "We talked about how we're probably the only ones whose manga gets turned into an anime every week." One Piece has since moved to a seasonal release format starting with the Elbaf arc.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.